Farmers challenged by unpredictable weather

By MOLLY TIPPEN, For The Macomb Daily

Sunday, April 28, 2013

At George Van Houtte’s farm along 33 Mile Road in northern Macomb County, the lifelong farmer and his helpers are busy preparing for what they hope will be a fruitful harvest while keeping an eye on the one factor that can’t be controlled when it comes to agriculture — the weather.

Van Houtte, who farms 550 acres adjacent to the 42nd District Court in Romeo, expects that his field and sweet corn crops might be compromised if the weather doesn’t turn around.

“We really want to have 105-day corn right now, but if we have to wait to plant, we could end up with 85-day corn,” said Van Houtte. “It’s like playing cards in farming — you never know what you’re going to get.”

The news of unpredictable weather again this year represents what has been two years of extreme weather cycles for local growers.

The hot and cold cycles and waves of rain have made it impossible for many farmers to plant seeds because of the fear of frost — a factor that can makes crops a total loss for farmers.

Though these cycles seem to be easing over the last few days, sustained warm and dry climates would be a boon for farmers, who are still recovering from the blistering heat followed by rain and then frost last year that devastated farmers.

“I’ve never seen a time when we’ve had two years like this in a row, said Joe Kutchey, president of the Richmond-based Macomb Farm Bureau, which represents 800 local growers in the county. “Everyone is concerned about the corn, and no one is planting. There’s still some time, but if the weather doesn’t change, your yield will be down.

“You could use several bushels of corn,” he added. “The farmers may have to switch to soybeans because they have different plant-by date.”

According to Dale Mohler, an agricultural weather expert for AccuWeather, the situation has not reached a critical level yet.

“In typical conditions on soil that is well-drained, most farmers can get into the fields and plant four of five days after a heavy rain,” he said. “However, the lower temperatures that have been occurring this spring are resulting in slower evaporation rates. By the time the soil is about ready to be worked, the next rainstorm was overspreading the area.”

A less bountiful seasonIn 2012, sauna-like weather conditions were so severe that the U.S. Department of Agriculture toured drought-affected farmers throughout Michigan, Indian and Ohio to track the losses in the states hardest hit by intense heat.

For many farmers, conditions appear to be the opposite this year.

The issues that could derail the harvest are persistent rains and dropping temperatures.

Abbey Jacobson, the owner of Westview Orchards on Van Dyke Avenue in Washington Township, said weather has been the most challenging aspect of being a grower during the past several years.

“Last year was very difficult for us, being in fruits, because the 80-degree weather in March was almost 1-2 months early and were frosted off,” she said. “We were forced to irrigate for 16 weeks. This year, spring is late and we hit about 10 percent of the fruit crops. It’s been challenging, but I’m an optimist, and I think we’re going to have a strong crop this year.”

Kutchey said he expects a better scenario for fruit growers than corn growers because the planting season for corn growers is imminent. And many Macomb farmers produce both field corn, which is used for ethanol production and feed for animals, as well as sweet corn, which ends up on dinner tables.

“The weather can affect how the sweet corn looks, and if the ears aren’t pretty, some people won’t buy them,” he said. “The fruit growers have a little more time.”

The best outcomesFor all growers, the best possible weather for the most robust crops is sustained, warm temperatures that dip slightly in the evening, with minimal rain.

The worst case would be a continued rain with cool conditions, and big temperature drips at any time of the day or night.

Van Houtte said he feels like growers are living in unprecedented times.

“I’ve been farming my entire life and we’ve never seen two years in a row that had these kinds of challenges,” he said. “Frost is the biggest concern, but things will dry up and we’ll have a good harvest.”